Laura C. Martin
Welcome
I am Laura Martin – artist, writer, wildflower enthusiast, explorer, hiker, weaver, wife, mother, grandmother, and gardener.
My most recent passion and project is Imperiled Beauty, an art and information exhibit showcasing the 19 Georgia native plants that are listed on the Federal Endangered Species list. The exhibit will be at the Gallery at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens August 12 – December 3, 2023.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP: For concrete suggestions of things that you can do to help save our endangered plants, please click here for a list of Conservation organizations
Click on Gallery to see images of the paintings (such as the Green pitcher plant below).
Green Pitcher Plant
For information and stories about out endangered plants, please click Blog
For the past year or so, I’ve been volunteering in the conservation greenhouse at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. My tasks there are like gardening tasks anywhere. Working with a small group of volunteers, we cut back, repot, divide and replant, water, fuss and stew over the plants in our care. What makes this work so incredibly different is that the plants we are working with are among the rarest and most vulnerable plants native to our state. It definitely brings an enhanced level of intensity to mundane tasks but it also brings a great sense of satisfaction. I think, perhaps, there is no more satisfying work than doing something that you know will make a difference. So, our care for the pitcher plants, the threatened sunflowers, the very rare quillworts makes all of us feel that we are making a contribution to save these species for future generations.
The more I “got to know” these plants, the more beautiful they became. I have been able to watch these plants in all phases of their growth cycle during the year and to sit and observe them closely. And, what I’ve found is that not only are these plants precious because they are so rare but they are also absolutely beautiful to look.
As an artist, I was determined to both capture and share this beauty so I began painting. And one thing led to another until suddenly I was mid-way through a project in which I determined to paint all 18 of the native Georgia plants that are listed on the federal endangered species list. I titled it “Imperiled Beauty” and the 18 paintings and accompanying information panels will be on display in the gallery at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens August 15 – December 3, 2023 and at the Chattahoochee Nature Center December 2024 – February 2025.